Structure of Yak Lactoperoxidase at 1.55 Å Resolution

Structure of the Complex of Lactoperoxidase With Nitric Oxide at 1.95 Å Resolution

Lactoperoxidase (LPO) is a heme-containing mammalian enzyme that is found in the extracellular fluids of animals including plasma, saliva, airway epithelial and nasal lining fluids, milk, tears, and gastric juices. LPO uses hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to convert substrates into oxidized products. Previous structural studies have shown that H2O2, CO, and CN are bound to LPO at the distal heme cavity by coordinating with heme iron. The structure of the complex of LPO with NO shows that NO also binds to LPO at the distal heme cavity and forms a coordinate linkage with heme iron. The structure shows that the nitrogen atom of NO is linked to heme iron at a distance of 1.97 while the oxygen atom is attached to the Nε2 atom of His109 at a distance of 2.23 Å. On the other hand, N atom of NO is located with an interatomic distance of 3.25 Å allowing a hydrogen-bonding interaction with the Nε2 atom of Gln105. A comparison of the bindings of NO, CO, CN, and H2O2 in coordination with heme iron indicates stereochemical compatibility of the distal heme cavity for the binding of diatomic molecules. However, notable differences are observed in their orientations in the distal heme cavity indicating functional differences. The bindings of NO, CO, and CN by coordinating with heme iron result in the inhibition of LPO while the binding of H2O2 to heme iron produces an intermediate of LPO known as Compound I.

Biochemical and Structural Characterisation of a Bacterial Lactoperoxidase

Peroxidases belong to a group of enzymes that are widely found in animals, plants and microorganisms. These enzymes are effective biocatalysts for a wide range of oxidations on various substrates. This work presents a biochemical and structural characterization of a novel heme-containing peroxidase from Cyanobacterium sp. TDX16, CyanoPOX. This cyanobacterial enzyme was successfully overexpressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble, heme-containing monomeric enzyme. Although CyanoPOX shares relatively low sequence identity (37 %) with bovine lactoperoxidase, it displays comparable biochemical properties. CyanoPOX is most stable and active in slightly acidic conditions (pH 6-6.5) and moderately thermostable (melting temperature around 48 °C). Several compounds that are typical substrates for mammalian lactoperoxidases were tested to establish the catalytic potential of CyanoPOX. Potassium iodide showed the highest catalytic efficiency (126 mM-1 s-1), while various aromatic compounds were also readily converted. Structural elucidation of CyanoPOX confirmed the presence of a non-covalently bound b-type heme cofactor that is situated in the central core of the protein. Except for a highly similar overall structure, CyanoPOX also has a conserved active site pocket when compared with mammalian lactoperoxidases. Due to its catalytic properties and high expression in a bacterial host, this newly discovered peroxidase shows promise for applications.

Structural evidence of the conversion of nitric oxide (NO) to nitrite ion (NO2-) by lactoperoxidase (LPO): Structure of the complex of LPO with NO2- at 1.89 Å resolution

Lactoperoxidase (LPO) is a heme containing mammalian enzyme which uses hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to catalyze the conversion of substrates into oxidized products. LPO is found in body fluids and tissues such as milk, saliva, tears, mucosa and other body secretions. The previous structural studies have shown that LPO converts substrates, thiocyanate (SCN-) and iodide (I-) ions into oxidized products, hypothiocyanite (OSCN-) and hypoiodite (IO-) ions respectively. We report here a new structure of the complex of LPO with an oxidized product, nitrite (NO2-). This product was generated from NO using the two step reaction of LPO by adding hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the solution of LPO in 0.1 M phosphate buffer at pH 6.8 as the first step. In the second step, NO gas was added to the above mixture. This was crystallized using 20% (w/v) PEG-3350 and 0.2 M ammonium iodide at pH 6.8. The structure determination showed the presence of NO2- ion in the distal heme cavity of the substrate binding site of LPO. The structure also showed that the propionate group which is linked to pyrrole ring D of the heme moiety was disordered. Similarly, the side chain of Asp108, which is covalently linked to heme moiety, was also split into two components. As a result of these changes, the conformation of the side chain of Arg255 was altered allowing it to form new interactions with the disordered carboxylic group of propionate moiety. These structural changes are indicative of an intermediate state in the catalytic reaction pathway of LPO.

Structural evidence of the oxidation of iodide ion into hyper-reactive hypoiodite ion by mammalian heme lactoperoxidase

Lactoperoxidase (1.11.1.7, LPO) is a mammalian heme peroxidase found in the extracellular fluids of mammals including plasma, saliva, airway epithelial lining fluids, nasal lining fluid, milk, tears, gastric juices, and intestinal mucosa. To perform its innate immune action against invading microbes, LPO utilizes hydrogen peroxide (H₂ O₂ ) to convert thiocyanate (SCN^- ) and iodide (I^- ) ions into the oxidizing compounds hypothiocyanite (OSCN^- ) and hypoiodite (IO^- ). Previously determined structures of the complexes of LPO with SCN^- , OSCN^- , and I^- show that SCN^- and I^- occupy appropriate positions in the distal heme cavity as substrates while OSCN^- binds in the distal heme cavity as a product inhibitor. We report here the structure of the complex of LPO with IO^- as the first structural evidence of the conversion of iodide into hypoiodite by LPO. To obtain this complex, a solution of LPO was first incubated with H₂ O₂ , then mixed with ammonium iodide solution and the complex crystallized by the addition of PEG-3350, 20% (wt/vol). These crystals were used for X-ray intensity data collection and structure analysis. The structure determination revealed the presence of four hypoiodite ions in the substrate binding channel of LPO. In addition to these, six other hypoiodite ions were observed at different exterior sites. We surmise that the presence of hypoiodite ions in the distal heme cavity blocks the substrate binding site and inhibits catalysis. This was confirmed by activity experiments with the colorimetric substrate, ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-sulfonic acid)), in the presence of hypoiodite and iodide ions.

Structure of a ternary complex of lactoperoxidase with iodide and hydrogen peroxide at 1.77 Å resolution

Lactoperoxidase (LPO) is a mammalian heme peroxidase which catalyzes the conversion of thiocyanate (SCN¯) and iodide (I^-) by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) into antimicrobial hypothiocyanite (OSCN¯) and hypoiodite (IO^-). The prosthetic heme group is covalently attached to LPO through two ester linkages involving conserved glutamate and aspartate residues. On the proximal side, His351 is coordinated to heme iron while His 109 is located in the substrate binding site on the distal heme side. We report here the first structure of the ternary complex of LPO with iodide (I^-) and H₂O₂ at 1.77 Å resolution. LPO was crystallized with ammonium iodide and the crystals were soaked in the reservoir solution containing H₂O_2. Structure determination showed the presence of an iodide ion and a H₂O₂ molecule in the substrate binding site. The iodide ion occupied the position which is stabilized by the interactions with heme moiety, His109, Arg255 and Glu258 while H₂O₂ was held between the heme iron and His109. The presence of I^- in the distal heme cavity seems to screen the positive charge of Arg255 thus suppressing the proton transfer from H₂O₂ to His109. This prevents compound I formation and allows trapping of a stable enzyme-substrate (LPO-I^--H₂O₂₎ ternary complex. This stable geometrical arrangement of H₂O₂ in the distal heme cavity of LPO is similar to that of H₂O₂ in the structure of the transient intermediate of the palm tree heme peroxidase. The biochemical studies showed that the catalytic activity of LPO decreased when the samples of LPO were preincubated with ammonium iodide.